Hierarchy
by nachonaco
Summary: Demons fighting demons. A war is about to start. Who will die? Who will live?
1. Chapter 1

There is a legend told that, if the dragon serving as a protector for a country passes into the next world, demons take over. Jake Long, the American dragon, along with his grandfather and friends Trixie and Spud, passed sometime during an ill-fated battle with the Huntsclan. With the protector of New York City deceased, two twin demons were instructed to carry on in his place.

Demons have been slandered against by both the human Christian community and the magical world. It has been said that, whenever a human dies, they are doomed to life as a demon, residing with Satan. For magical creatures, the rumors are more terrifying. Offspring of minute creatures such as pixies and brownies are told that demons will eat them, and such fables are told about demons stealing and eating griffin eggs.

Such lies are embarrassing to the demon race, in fact their personalities differ. It is not doubtful there were some of that species that terrorized the magical creatures, but it is a very common and untrue misconception that demons were once humans. Demons cannot change their appearance as dragons do, they must administer a nightly concoction to continue the human façade.

Going back to the tale of the once-human demons, it is not entirely inconceivable. Demons very closely resemble humans, with the exception of their skin colors (which vary by demon, not by region as humans are), and a tail that is as long as the demon is tall. The extra appendage is commonly used for restraining threats, for example tripping a poacher. Another difference between demons and humans are the horns that are atop a demon's head. For female demons, the horns go down the back and stop at the beginning of the spine. For males, the horns more closely resemble that of a bull's.

There are normally three types of demons, with the exception of the rare demon that may exist. There are fire demons, water demons, and Seer demons. Seer demons are named for their, although this is not the limit of their powers, psychic abilities. Other powers are: teleportation, telepathy (something all types of demons have, yet for the first few years of their training they can only communicate with their master/mistress), the ability to siphon energy from one being to another, but only if both parties (the one receiving the energy as well as the one donating it) consent.

Typically, once a fire or water demon turns twenty-five he or she is given the choice of retaining their elemental powers or moving up in the ranks to a Seer demon. Seer demons are mainly responsible for protecting their cities and raising their demon students. It is tradition for the demon children's parents to hand over the egg, or in some cases eggs, to a tutor of their choice.

Sometimes, however, it is not by choice. Occasionally, demons are murdered for their reptilian skin to be used to make wallets and sold on the black market. Oftentimes, they are murdered by the Huntsclan for sport. That, dear reader, is what happened to the parents of the new protectors of New York City.

It was raining hard as the lavender-hued demon flew toward her destination, a large rucksack hitting her side occasionally. She prayed silently that the precious cargo that resided in her bag would not be destroyed by the harsh winds. Finally spotting the island where she would land, she dove down, and landed perfectly inside the mouth of a cave.

"Seer Jessica." A wizened demon greeted her newest companion, smiling warmly. The torches in the cave illuminated her wrinkled lime-green face as well as her lemon-yellow eyes. "It has been entirely too long. Where have you been?"

"Visiting my brother….he and my sister-in-law just…"

"Yes, yes, we've heard." The old woman replied sadly. "The only two demons still loyal to New York City, brutally murdered by the Huntsclan."

"I suppose it had to happen, what with the death of the dragon and all."

"It's unavoidable…"

"Hopefully…when these little ones are born…" Jessie motioned toward the two spherical, bulging objects in her bag. "All our troubles will be over."

"Hopefully."

"Um…I've never actually had children of my own…can you clarify the ceremony for me?"

"Certainly. Hand me the bag and I'll take the young ones down to the rookery."

"All right…" Jessie reluctantly handed the bag over to her former master, and although she felt a sense of security around the old woman, was semi-concerned for the well-being of her future nieces.

"Everyone's expecting you down in the dining hall." The old one nodded. "I'll join you there in a second."

"All right…" She had had a long journey, she could use some food. She descended the stairs gracefully down to the dining hall, her wings not quite touching her outfit but not quite fully expanded. Her outfit of choice tonight was a Knicks hooded sweatshirt with gray sweatpants, a hole conveniently placed to fit her tail. There were also two rectangular slits in her hoody to allow her wings space.

"Jessie!" As she approached the dining hall, she was approached by a man wearing jeans and a Chicago Bears jersey.

"Hello, Ricky." Jessie smiled. "How've you been?"

"Fine, fine! And yourself?"

"I'm doing….well, to be honest, not so good…I have to stay here with my nieces."

"Why? What happened?"

"Their parents passed away…"

"Sorry to hear that." Ricky sighed.

"I'm keeping them here until they're fourteen, when they'll be of age to pick their life mates as well as be ready to travel back to New York with me."

"Y'know….if you need someone around, I could…"

"Ricky, no. I'm not in….I can't…"

"Will you at least think about it?" Ricky requested. "C'mon, y'know Old Lady Madeline was always rooting for us to get together." The young man was referring to the woman who had greeted Jessie at the entrance of the cave.

"I'll think on it." Jessie replied. "I'll be busy with demon training if my nieces are to become strong enough to guard an entire city."

"All right…." Ricky sighed.

"But…" Jessie sat down, scooting closer to the man. "They're just little kids now, they won't start training 'til they're about three or four….we could…y'know."

"Like, hang out?"

"Yeah…" Jessie nodded.

Demons grow at an alarming rate, becoming capable of cognitive thought at an extraordinarily early age. Three months after Jessie's arrival on the island, she was awoken by her eldest niece, who had roughly reached the size of a five-year-old human. The small girl snuck past the candles that illuminated the stone-walled room, walking over to her aunt's feather bed.

The little demon had purple skin with orange iris-and-pupil-less eyes, and she also had black hair. She wore a child's size Knicks jersey and dark blue sweatpants, preferring to spend the rest of her time barefoot. "C'mon, up up up!"

"Syd?" Jessie asked groggily. "What is it, honey? What's wrong?"

"Some guy with a dragon skull mask thingy is here with a bunch of ninja-lookin' guys!" Syd breathed frantically.

"Where's your sister?"

"In the rookery with the maids and other kids." Syd explained. "C'mon c'mon c'mon!" She started to fly off until Jessie seized her tail. Syd flapped her wings frantically, trying to get away.

"No, Syd. I don't want you going off, okay? Especially if the Huntsclan's still here…Did you see them kill anyone?"

"Yes ma'am…." Syd replied sadly.

"Who was it?"

"Ricky."

"_No_…" Jessie gasped, releasing Syd.

"They're trying to find the rookery now."

"We've…we've gotta…we've gotta get to Des and the others…but if they see you…"

"What'm I gonna do, Aunt Jessie?" Syd cocked her head slightly.

"You….you…um…." Jessie looked over and saw her basin of water, which was currently empty. It was rather large, certainly big enough to hold a small child. "You're gonna stay under here, okay?" She put Syd on the table where the basin once lay, and then covered her with the bowl. "Be absolutely quiet, Syd. Don't say a word until you hear my voice again, okay?"

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Aunt Jessie."

"Good."

Jessie raced off toward the rookery, coming face to face with the new Huntsmaster, who was in the most technical sense, Huntsmistress. On her head she wore Jake's skull, obscuring her face from view. Jessie gasped as she saw the new leader trying to beat down the door with her staff. Thorn then tried to use her staff as a battering ram, and nearly succeeded when Jessie seized it with her tail. Her wings expanded to their full span, and she soared up to the arched ceiling.

"You want it so bad, Thorn?" Jessie taunted. "Come and get it!" She transferred the staff from her tail to her hands.

"Give it back, demon!"

"Not a chance. You've already destroyed Ricky, I'm not letting you destroy others I love." After hitting the enemy with the 'claw' end of the staff, she opened the rookery doors and grabbed her younger niece, who had curled up and covered herself with her wings.

"Des, sweetie…" Jessie cooed softly. "C'mon, we're goin' to New York City."

"OK…" Des opened her wings enough to pass her hand through and it touched Jessie's, and finally she uncovered her entire body. She was wearing an identical outfit to Syd's, and looked identical with the exception of her dark blue skin.

"God, I hope we can beat the Huntsclan…" Jessie whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

With the exception of two battered eggs, all of the rookery children were safe. The eighteen demon spawns that remained stuck close together, just as rookery siblings should. Syd looked over at her two friends, Nick and Scott. Nick and Scott, just as Des and Syd were, were twins. If Des and Syd both passed their maturing tests, they were to mate with Nick (Des would) and Scott (Syd). As such, they were required to spend quite a lot of time with each other. Not that they minded each other's company, of course.

The American demon population, due to the massacre, was nearly cut in half. There were now at least five adult females, and three male demons, not counting the children. Jessie, as the most trusted demon (thanks to Madeline, who had been killed in the attacks) had to take over as ruler of the demons, which carried a lot of responsibility to it. She was, due to the ages of her nieces, needed for both protecting New York as well as delegating with other demons.

"All right, everyone! Since our rookery children are now the equivalent of four years old, it is their turn to learn to hunt." Demon laws decree that, even though they adapt to the times well enough in the protectorates, all ancient demon traditions be followed such as hunting and gathering. "Each child must bring back one thing. It cannot be small, at least not small enough to make it an unfair advantage."

The children were sent to a small American island, chock-full of griffins. Syd saw a group of cubs, slightly larger than herself, in what the demon assumed to be crèche. "You've got a clear shot." Jessie whispered, looking at her niece.

"I don't want to do this, Aunt Jessie. They're kids, like me."

"I know, sweetie…but…we can't go against tradition…the first hunt has to be when…when you're the age you're at now."

"Do I have to eat them?"

"Yes…sorry, Syd."

Des just stayed quiet, and Syd knew she didn't want to have to have this happen either. Slowly, the blue demon stepped forward into the clearing. Almost immediately, a glass 'bubble' appeared and sucked Des up just as if it were a regular water bubble. Des screamed terribly, looking toward her aunt and sister for help.

(A/N: Sorry for the short chap, everyone, I'm on my laptop and it's really uncomfortable sitting here.)


	3. Chapter 3

"Syd! Aunt Jessie! Help!" Des cried from the glass bubble that held her. Thorn walked over and picked up the orb, glaring down at the prey. Syd struggled against her aunt's grip. Wordlessly, Jessie watched in awe as Thorn was about to walk away. She suddenly glanced at her niece behind her, and knew she would be found as well. Nick and Scott were behind her as well. She gave them all a look that said 'Stay put'. As Jessie walked forward, Syd and her friends complied.

Thorn watched as the young female demon approached, and through the mask, smirked. There was no way she was going to beat her. "Well, well." Thorn laughed. "I was wondering when you'd get off that island show your sorry face after your brother's death."

Jessie snarled, one of the few inhuman sounds a demon made, all animal noises being strictly involuntary. She charged forward just as Thorn disappeared, and suddenly stopped and collapsed, her face streaming with tears. She looked at Syd, who had approached once she was sure the coast was clear. Syd wrapped her arms reassuringly around her aunt's waist.

"Well, aren't you a pretty little girl…" Thorn laughed, looking at Des, who had been removed from her glass bubble and placed in a cage. She huddled far away from Thorn, and watched her, wide-eyed. "You'll make a nicer wallet, though."

"My aunt's gonna…"

"Gonna what, kid?" Thorn looked at Des.

"When she gets here, she's gonna beat you up!"

"I highly doubt that."

"Yeah she will! She's the leader of the demons! She's got ultimate powers!" Des had accidentally told a secret no one outside of the demon community should know: who the demon leader was.

"Interesting."

Jessie and Syd were stationed on the roof of the lair, which was in New York City. They were about to charge in when a blue dragon soared over to them.

"You…You're Andie Long!" Syd gasped. "Can I have your autograph?"

"This your niece, Jessie?" Andie laughed. "She's funny."

"Yeah, hilarious when she's not trying to use her demon powers to play pranks."

"Heh."

"Listen….my other niece is down there. We need to get her out of there."

"Right."

Jessie punched a hole through the roof and widened it with her claws, making it big enough for the demon and the lightning dragon to pass through.

"Dragon!" Thorn yelled, charging toward her. Jessie, from behind, put the Huntsclan leader in a headlock.

"Remember me?" She asked, and then knocked Thorn out. She took the staff that Thorn used, and aimed at Des' restraints. She fired, setting her niece free. Des quite literally flew into her aunt's arms.

After the ordeal, Jessie and the twins followed Andie, the three demons wearing hoods to cover their horned faces, and cloaks to cover their tails and scaled bodies. As soon as they entered the old electronics shop, a tall red dragon approached them. Jessie smiled warmly and greeted him. "Hello, Jake."

"Hi, Jessie. It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has." Jessie nodded in confirmation, and stole a glance at her toddler nieces, who were tossing things back and forth. "No, Syd, Des, don't do that."

"Why not, Aunt Jessie?" Syd asked.

"Just…don't."

"It's okay, Jessie." Andie explained. "They're not gonna break anything."

"I just don't want them to cause any trouble."

"They can go play upstairs, I've got a few video games in the guest room."

"Cool! Thanks, Mrs. Long!" Syd grinned as she ran upstairs, her sister chasing after.

"So," Jessie looked over at her old middle school friend. "When're the babies due?"

"In a couple of months." Dragon gestation periods were different than a normal human's, much shorter.

"That's great. You're both going to be great parents."

"Thanks." Jake smiled. "I just can't wait to be a dad…"

Suddenly, Jessie looked out the window. Thorn, flanked by other members of the Huntsclan, approached the shop. "Jessie, Andie, go." Jake whispered.

"What? Are you crazy?" Andie whispered. "I'm not leaving you. You're my husband…"

"Andie, please. Just…just go." Jake sighed. The Huntsclan was nearer now, in a matter of minutes they would be busting down the door.

Andie looked out the window apprehensively, watching the Huntsclan leave the street and enter….She had no idea that would be the last day she would see her husband alive….but she knew that when the new demon twins were thirteen, they would help her track down the Huntsclan.

It was their legacy…as demons, they were required to protect the city in absence of a dragon, and Andie would be retiring after saving Des.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Oops. Plothole in the last chapter about Jake's skull. Ignore that, and thanks to EP for catching it. Also, Andie Long belongs to my friend despyrit. She has a fic here called 'New Dragon on the Block'.

Nine years later, the two demon twins were instructing Andie's children on flight. As Syd would put it, demons and dragons have about as much difference as British English and American English. When Andie retired, she told the elder twins that they were to make sure that the two dragons followed in her and her husband's footsteps…and so they would. Once the demon twins retired, Zack and Zeki (Andie's children) would take their place.

Syd and Des' first mission was nearly deadly, with the victim being Des. The two were on nightly patrol when something caught Des' eye. She flew down, landing in the alley she had thought to house trouble. "Hello? Is there anyone there?" She asked quietly, and was replied to by a tail wrapping itself around her ankles and knocking her down.

"SYD, HELP!" Des yelled. Syd, who had perched on the side of a building, flexed her wings and prepared to take flight, when she was grabbed by something. She saw that it was another demon, just like her. The male demon took hold of Syd by putting her in a headlock. He then jumped off the building, floating down to the bottom.

"We've got 'em." He whispered, and another male demon stepped out of the shadows toward Des. He was at least seven feet tall, perhaps six and a half. He took one look at Des.

"Well, well." The leader demon replied. "If it isn't the nieces of the alpha female."

"Who are you?" Syd demanded. "What do you want!"

"Your blood….but your sister's going to die first. Your aunt will get to see the bodies, but defy my words and she'll never know what happened to you both. I swear it." With that, the male demon crouched down and exposed his great fangs, shining a brilliant white. He tilted Des' head back ever so gently, perfectly contrasting the event that was going to happen. Des froze instantly, not wanting to cause any further injury.

"DES, NO!" Syd screamed, and struggled against her captor's grip. She managed to break free just as Des' neck was bitten, and the two enemy demons flew away.

Jessie was outraged when the twins returned home. "THEY DID WHAT!" She growled and snarled as she paced, her animal instincts causing her to almost destroy a bookcase. "Did you see what they looked like?"

"Yeah…" Syd nodded. "The one that grabbed me was green, dark green, and had scars all over his face. The one that attacked Des had holes in his wings."

"Oh…not them…" Jessie whispered gravely.

"What? What is it, Aunt Jessie?"

"Syd, listen to me. This is very, very important. I need you to let me know if you see them again, all right?"

"All right."

"I've got to go call a meeting…Do you want to go with me?"

"Eh, sure, why not?"

The full moon was dappled with spots as flocks of demon families made their way from all parts of America, all different states. When they finally reached the American Demon Island, Jessie greeted them and called them into the meeting hall. "Yes, yes, I know it's late, everyone. I apologize, but there is a matter that we need to take care of."

An ancient tradition decreed that all demons be present to witness the banishment of their betraying comrades. Jessie called the two demons forth. "These two," she explained with a sense of dignity, although on the inside she wanted to rip them apart. "were involved in an attack on my nieces. As you know, harming an alpha's family would not result in omega status as it does for non-alphas, but instead revocation of demon powers." She turned to the offenders. "Demon powers are a privilege, you two. Only when you keep your promise from birth to swear fealty do you get to keep your powers."

The two demons growled and snarled.

"And don't you even try to attack me." Jessie commanded. "Everyone here would be on you like hyenas on an antelope."

The demon with the holes in his wings soared toward Jessie and seized her. "NOBODY MOVE!" He commanded, dragging her behind a curtain. The two did not surface for an hour, and Syd soon became worried that her aunt was dead or dying. This was not the case. When they finally did reappear, Jessie was sobbing and carrying a white egg.

Syd growled as did Nick and Scott. Des was unable to actually transform, if she did she would be instantly killed. Syd's aunt had been attacked viciously, although demon sex is different than that of humans. Magical energy is used from both parents, although forced contact is still possible when one party siphons energy from another. "Well, now," the enemy demon grinned and laughed. "What do you all think of your invincible leader?"

"I….I……" Jessie gasped and set down her egg, seething with anger. A great wave of magic went from her hands and constricted the enemy demon, soon his wings, tail and horns disappeared, leaving a human body. "I am not weak!" She did the same thing to the other demon she had banished, and the two snuck off for parts unknown.

"What happened?" Syd asked, flying over to her aunt after the meeting was adjourned.

"I'm….I'm going to have a baby, Syd…"

"So, he…"

Jessie nodded.

"Aunt Jessie…I'm so sorry…"

"It's…it's all right, Syd. They can't hurt us anymore, and I'm going to get a kid after all." Jessie sighed. "I've gotta stay strong for the demons." _Ricky would've loved to have kids… _she thought and sighed.

"But…how can you think of him as anything more than an enemy?"

"I didn't say that, Des. I just said that I've got to stay strong for the demons. Now…with this new egg, I'll need your help. You two will share the rights of being alpha with me." Jessie replied, looking at her nieces with an extremely serious expression.

"Does that mean…"

"No, Syd, that does not mean you can go ahead and breed!" Jessie glared. Syd grinned nervously.

"Kidding, just kidding!"

"It isn't funny, Syd. This is no time for jokes."

"Got it."

"Now, normally," Jessie continued. "The firstborn twin would have more rights than the second, but you'll need all the help you can get. This is why I've appointed a majordomo, to help you."

"How long will we have to stay on the island?"

"Until we're sure all the female demons are safe. I know you two can handle being alphas…"

"What all's entailed in that?"

"Well, you're required to oversee the hatching of eggs, fights, and hunts."

"But I thought you said a long time ago that that last hunt was the last one ever."

"Things change, Syd. We're not going to be able to leave the island for a while….we can't just leave to go to the store."

"Are we going to have to hunt griffins?"

"No, we'll try to find something else."

"All right."

Secretly, a meeting of about five or six demons took place, with the two demons-turned-humans leading it. "Our alpha is weak! She couldn't even fight when I siphoned her magic to make an egg! We will bring her, and her worthless nieces, down! I swear it, brothers and sisters!" The one who had attacked Jessie vowed, and his accomplices cheer. "Together we will end a nine-year tyranny that is sure to continue when her nieces fully take over!"

"YES!" The demons cheered. "WE WILL END IT TOGETHER!"

"She has done something no alpha has done since Alpha Demon Kaori!" Kaori was the first American demon, born over three hundred years before even Jessie's grandparents were born. "She is not even the true heir! I am the true alpha!" It was no lie, Madeline was a blood relative of his, although she refused to trust James (the wannabe alpha) and gave the rights to be heir to her demon pupil: Jessie.

"She will be killed!" The supporting demons chanted. "They will all be killed and we will allow the griffins to feast on their flesh!"

"YES!"

Scott was meandering around the hallways of the castle when he heard shouts and cries, and slightly opened one of the great doors from which the sound was discovered. "Demons Jessica, Sydney, and Destiny will soon meet their ends, and I shall take my rightful place!" James howled with pleasure.

"They're going to kill them?" Scott whispered to himself, unable to believe what his future mate and her family would face.

"How are we going to trap them?" A demon asked.

"Well, we're going to strike a deal with the Huntsclan."

That was when he lost the audience completely. "The Huntsclan?" "We'll all be killed!" "They'll cause our deaths!" Frantic shouts of disapproval meshed together as members of the Huntsclan approached.

"No, no!" James hissed. "Listen to me before you start running your mouths, you paranoid nutcases!"

"Well, what is it?"

"The Huntsclan is willing to let us off if we provide them with an alpha or three." Alpha demons, once magically christened with the title, had certain properties that made them different from the rest. Their horns, instead of being bone, were pure ivory that would rival the sheen of an elephant's. They would certainly fetch quite a bit on the black market.

"We'll grow fat from the meat we can buy from their horns!"

Scott gasped and raced off toward Syd's room. He had to tell her.

The alpha-in-training hummed to herself, taking a lilac out of its vase and sniffing it, admiring its scent and beauty. Scott, entering, cleared his throat. "Syd?"

"Yes, my future husband?" Syd grinned, flirting with him.

"There's….there's a plot to kill you and your sister and aunt."

"What, why?"

"Some demons – there's only about five or six of them – aren't happy with the way you're running things."

"Five or six – that's half the clan!" Fay, the new majordomo, gasped.

"Fay." Syd commanded. "Rally the European Demons and call a meeting. Scott, I need you and Nick to swear false fealty to them. Find out when the attack is. Also, I need you to heal Des, all right?"

"I'll do it." Scott nodded and raced off. The meeting was to commence on Saturday, one week after the previous meeting.

"I know everyone is a little annoyed about this, I mean the whole 'going home and coming back' thing, but this is urgent…we may have a war upon us…and as you know, the American demon population was cut in half nine years ago. We have not been able to train warriors since then, and as alpha I fear that the American demons may be completely eradicated."

"We understand, Alpha Demon Sydney." A demon with a thick British accent stood up and spoke. "You can rest assured knowing that the finest British demon warriors will be at your side."

"And we will give you ours as well!" A French demon used another to translate as he promised to help them.

"Si! Si!" A Spanish demon cried.

"Thank you, everyone. I know I can also call upon the Dragon Summit, which will also be a great deal of help. The meeting is adjourned, although if any of you wishes to stay overnight, there are several guest rooms available. I trust you will find them most comfortable." Jessie took over and left Des in charge of the egg.

The next morning, Syd and Des were walking down to the training fields, Syd with her bow and quiver on her back, and Des with a sword. In addition to their elemental powers, demons are expected to know much about archery and swordfights. Des looked at her twin. "So….am I gonna fight you?"

"The two best demons should fight each other." Syd grinned cockily. Des laughed slightly.

"Yeah, they should, Destiny." A growling voice replied, coming from behind one of the trees. Two Huntsclan members flanked him, staffs raised and pointed at the alpha females. Syd and Des gasped and backed up. "Surely you don't mind if I have a little help?"


	5. Chapter 5

"The Huntsclan? A-and how did you get back to demon form?" Syd couldn't believe it. True, they were fairly easy to defeat as they were henchmen, but it was the principle of the matter. Des held out her sword and Syd strung her bow, both stepping forward. "Well, whatever. I'm an alpha demon, I can certainly handle you. Des, think you can handle the Huntsclan?" Syd looked over toward her sister, who was standing on top of the bodies of the two clan members. "Guess that answers my question."

"How weak of you…you haven't thought to use your natural fighting instincts and have resorted to human weapons?" He sneered. "You aren't worth my time, runts." He raced off.

While they were staying on Demon Islands, demons were required to stay in their natural forms. Jessie sat on the edge of her bed, cradling her egg. Slowly, miniscule cracks appeared on the surface of the egg, and Jessie gasped. "Syd! Des! Get in here!" She yelled out the window. Syd and Des entered the room, having beaten their enemy, but did not enter before Drew's father. "Have I had a son?" He asked, concernedly.

"I'm not sure yet, Daemon." Jessie replied. Daemon had an unusual name, one of the few who was named after his species. It wasn't actually his name, that was James. He preferred to be called Daemon, as to have that name in the demon world was a great honor. To have it in the human world now, where at least demons are known of, is an abomination.

"You will _pay _if it's a girl, do you understand me?" Syd snarled as her 'uncle' delivered that line, and wanted to bite his head off. There was no way she would allow him to hurt Jessie again. If it meant her death, she would protect her aunt. That was part of her duty as an alpha, protecting the others.

"Y-yes, sir…" Jessie gasped subserviently, praying that it was a boy…It was true that she wanted a girl, but she didn't want to risk dying…or her child's death…if it was a girl.

"Good." He kissed Jessie on the cheek and left. "I've got business to attend to."

As soon as he left, more cracks appeared on the egg. After what seemed like forever, a little head, black as night, forced it's way through the shield and two hands followed, resting on the shell. He looked up at his mother with blood-red eyes, and Jessie was shocked at his appearance at first.

Syd gasped and Des stepped on her foot.

"Des, Syd….this is…Drew. Your cousin."

Demons wishing to become parents may choose the coloring of the spawn. Jessie surmised that when she had been knocked out (as must occur when energy siphoning is intended), Daemon had chosen the appearance of their son. The rest of the child's body was just as black as his head, except for the membranes of the wings, which were a dark gray. He cocked his head, looking at his mother intently as he sat on her lap and she dressed him. He wore a white hooded sweatshirt with wing holes, and jeans with a tail hole cut in them.

"Hello, my son…" Jessie smiled, kissing the top of her newborn's head. "You're so adorable."

"JESSIE!" Daemon barked, entering the room. "Is it done hatching yet?"

"Yes, dear." Jessie sneered. "It's a boy."

"Excellent…he'll start training in a week, just as I did."

"He's too young!" Jessie protested. "He only knows how to fly and walk!" Demons are born with certain mobility abilities so they may get out of trouble faster.

"Hm….He should have a good trainer, then……I'll do it."

"WHAT!" Jessie roared. "No! I won't allow it!"

"You won't?" Red fire illuminated his hands and he moved his hands down above Drew's head. The child flew into Syd's arms and buried his face in her chest, hiding from his father. The flames on Daemon's hands disappeared as he cleared his throat. He turned and looked toward Des. "Very well…I suppose Des can give me an heir…and surely she won't object to training it."

"I'm not letting you do that to her." Jessie and Syd growled simultaneously.

"I am not threatening this time, Jessie…watch your back…and watch over your nieces carefully….never know when someone might attack them." He snarled as he walked off.

"Syd…Des…" Jessie breathed. "Please….take Drew and go…both of you."

"Go where?" Syd asked.

"New York City….go live with Andie…explain the situation to her…"

"I will, Aunt Jessie." Syd promised. The small demon around her neck cooed softly, looking at Jessie. Although he did not understand completely, instincts told him that something was wrong now, but was going to be a great thing later. Jessie walked over and took her son from her niece, hugging him tightly.

"Goodbye, Drew…I'll miss you."

Drew looked up sadly at his mother.

"Be safe, you three…I love you."

"All right…we love you too." Syd spoke for the group. "But I just have one question…"

"Yes?" Jessie asked.

"Why do you submit to Daemon?"

"I am bound to the one who I breed with, Syd….as you will be when you choose a mate."


	6. Chapter 6

Before leaving, Syd, Des, and their two friends Nick and Scott had to go to the small temple on a small island nearby. Syd and Des had been able to visit it since they were ten, but as Scott and Nick were the future alpha males by marriage, they had not been able to see it. Syd and Des pried open the heavy oak doors. A great golden demon statue whose size was greater than the tallest tree known to man, her eyes large, seemed to stare at the sets of twins. Syd and Des stepped forward and knelt.

"I pray and I pledge my loyalty to the Great Golden Demon Ayan, ruler over all demons in each nation, mother to us and our future generations, the one who gives us life." The twins prayed. Scott and Nick watched, bewildered. Ayan flowed out of the statue, her golden scales catching the sunlight. She looked more like a dragon in appearance, but there were subtle differences.

"Why does she look like a dragon?" Scott asked.

Ayan smiled and looked at Scott. "Hello, young one." She smiled. "I take it you are the future alpha male?"

"Yes, ma'am, along with my brother Nick."

"Ah, excellent." Ayan grinned. "I recognize you two." She added, looking at the female twins.

"Goddess Ayan…" Syd spoke. As unfair as it was, Syd was firstborn and thus had the honor of doing all the speaking. Sometimes, like in this situation. "We…we have to leave the demon islands."

"Whatever for?"

"Our leader….he has…he's forced my aunt, the alpha female, to breed with him and then after that he was named the alpha male…"

"Because he mated with the alpha female." Ayan nodded.

"Correct."

"Well…as you know, the only way to break the marriage of a demon is to kill one of the spouses. As I know you won't destroy your aunt, your only chance is to destroy the alpha male."

"But only a member of the same sex can kill a high-ranked demon."

"Exactly. This is where your boyfriends will come into play."

All four teenage demons blushed.

"Oh, don't even give me that." Ayan smirked in a friendly way. "I know each chapter of each demon's life before it even starts."

"Really?"

"Yes…but you must go. You have much training to get through."  
"Thank you, Ayan." Syd spoke for the group once more, showing the true traits of a leader.

Several hours later, Jessie came to the conclusion that Syd was done praying and had reached New York City. The American Demon Island was somewhere in the midway mark between Florida and New York, and demons flew fast. Sometimes, however, there were problems. Jessie rummaged through her drawer and pulled out her cell phone, being doubly sure to check that Daemon wasn't there. If she were seen using technology of humans on 'his island', she would pay the ultimate price. She fumbled for a second, not used to utilizing her cell phone whilst she was in demon form, and finally dialed Andie's number. She paused when she felt hot breath down the back of her neck. Daemon. "And what is it you're doing, my dear?" He chuckled. "Surely you aren't trying to break one of my laws."

"I…I was…"

"Hoping your nieces made it out alive?" He took the cell phone, Jessie's only means of communicating, and crushed it with his mighty demonic, almost pawlike hands. "I'll warn you once more…the next time I catch one of your rebellion attempts…you'll be killed."

"Yes sir…you'll…I'll never rebel against you."

Ayan watched over the scene carefully, from the stars. The celestial being shook her head. What had been going on? Why had this particular male demon chosen to defile the name of the noble creatures? She could have intervened at any moment, but knew that Jessie would have to fight her own battles…it was the way all demons lived by, even those who had passed into the next world. The goddess paced among the clouds. She could have avoided this whole mess…

And the child.

Jessie's child, if trained under Daemon as he wished and expected, would grow to be a killer. If Jessie refused to subject their son to this cruel treatment, would be transformed into an omega demon. Omega demons lacked the ability to care. If Jessie had to compare them to something, it would probably be the Heartless from a video game favorite of Syd's, Kingdom Hearts. They physically resembled leather-skinned hyenas, and fought whatever crossed their paths. They destroyed for the thrill of it, wrenching life from the throats of their helpless victims.

If Jessie didn't intervene…Drew would be doomed to omega status or…or Ayan would have to destroy the child herself.


	7. Chapter 7

"Well, this is it, gang." Des smiled. "NYC. We're back home."

"Wow…it's changed a lot in nine years. What do you think's playing on Broadway?" Scott asked.

"I'm not sure…as soon as we settle in, we'll go check." Syd grinned.

Des and Nick were trailing behind, their arms interlocked at the elbows. They smiled at each other.

The omega demon, perched with its alphas on the rooftop of a building, snarled and shook against the restraints. The female alpha of the American demons, Jessie, struggled against her own restraints and mumbled something unintelligible due to the rag she had over her mouth. "Aw…" Daemon smiled sarcastically. "Aren't you glad to have a change of scenery?" He snickered.

He yowled as he felt his tail being stepped on, wheeled around to face – ugh, his niece. And her sister and idiot friends, too….swell. Syd bared her fangs and hissed violently. She had, for the sake of winning this battle, completely forgotten that she was part human. She bit and tore savagely at her uncle. Growling, the alpha male took his cursed creatures and left, leaving Jessie tied up. Syd took the chains in her mouth and jerked her head roughly, breaking the chains. Jessie, now free, smiled as her other niece and her friends glided down to the roof of the building.

"You okay, Aunt Jessie?" Des asked, deeply concerned for her aunt's condition.

"Yes….for now." Jessie nodded. "He'll be back, that I know, but you'll all be able to fight him."

Daemon roared angrily and walked a few blocks. God, he just needed to destroy something….ah, here it was. A house…perfect. If he didn't lure those goody-two-shoes twins to it, he'd at least get to kill a couple of humans for a meal or something. He smirked when he heard the screams. There had been at least two screams of children, something that nearly made his mouth water. Suddenly, there was a great purple blur. Daemon hadn't anticipated that his niece would be able to fly that fast. She burst through the window, carrying two small children. The parents had crawled out the window, trailing her spaded appendage.

The parents looked in awe at whatever the creature that happened to be saved their children. Her eyes were warm and wide, a rich, earthy orange in color. Her skin was a dark amethyst, and her horns resembled that of a ram's. Her wings looked as though they could smother an entire crowd of people…but it was obvious she would not harm them. Were it not for the coloring on the other demon, she would not have been welcome to saving them (Syd and her uncle were roughly about the same size, and the smoke made it hard to see past that).

Syd knelt down as she saw the young girl, her face burned severely, walk toward her. "Thank you," she whispered roughly through her swollen lips. Syd reached for a pouch on her belt, squirted a type of lotion from her hand. She gently rubbed it on the child's burns, healing them. There was not even a scar left to be seen. The mother of the child laughed happily as her only injured child was healed. The small girl walked over to her mother, pointing out the untouched face.

"Thank you…thank you so much." The mother whispered to Syd.

"It's no problem." Syd smiled. "I do that kind of thing for…well…I don't do it for anything. I just do it to be…nice."

Daemon muttered something under his breath and magic flowed from his mouth to the child's palm.

Etched into it now was a bloody, permanent 'tattoo' – two demons chasing each other. She was destined to destroy them.

She was destined to be the new Huntsgirl.


	8. Chapter 8

Syd cursed as she beat against the magically-reinforced metal bars of her cell. The stone cave walls were barely wide enough for her wingspan. It annoyed her almost to the point of insanity. Jessie and Des were in adjacent cells. Des leaned against the bars of the wall that separated her cell and Syd's, and whispered. "There's no hope for us anymore."

"I talked to Scott's mother. She's going to try to reason with him."

There were wild shouts from the hallway, and Syd approached the bars. She saw her boyfriend's mother being unceremoniously thrown into another cell, and then as the guards left she took her tail in her hands and cut off the tail. A green liquid bubbled inside the spade. Syd ran it along a couple of the bars, and smiled as she was able to escape.

"Moni?" She questioned, arriving at the cell of her future mother-in-law. "What happened?"  
Monica looked at Syd. "Well…when I heard about your aunt being imprisoned I had to do something."

"Which was…"

"I tried to poison him." Monica as well as her husband, Derek, Scott and Nick's father, were alchemists, and thus had access to virtually every chemical known to demonkind.

"Did you…when you gave him the drink, did you catch him in the middle of a meeting?"

"Yes."

"Ah…was it a sentencing?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

Again there was a commotion in the cellblock as Jessie screamed and was dragged from her cell, restrained, and carried into another room. A heavy boulder was rolled into the place of the entrance, barring the escapees from freeing their comrade.

Inside the chamber, Jessie snarled before she was put under a silencing spell. She cried and beat the stone floor with her hands as the wing membranes were cut from the bones. "Sell these…maybe you can make a few dollars off of them." He carelessly tossed the triangular skins to one of his own comrades and looked at his wife, who was prone on the floor, passed out from her attempts at calling for help. "Excellent….we'll have a new omega on our team."

In a sudden burst of green energy, a vine, thick as a tree, burst forth and knocked Daemon off his clawed feet, saving Jessie's life. The vine was still glowing and captivated them all, even the one who had supplied the power: Des. She had no idea she could do that…Oh well, she thought…whatever defeated her uncle. Snarling, the male demon acknowledged defeat and stepped off. Des broke the bonds and waved her hand over her aunt's broken wings, healing them and replenishing the membranes.

Jessie's blue eyes blinked. Not even…not even alphas had that power. In fact, she wasn't even sure if Ayan had that power. Was Des destined to be a goddess when she passed into the next world? When she saw that Drew wasn't with the twins, she knew there was no time for discussion of Des' powers. "Where's Drew?"

"We dropped him off at Andie's before we went sightseeing and were captured."

"Ah….thank Ayan…" Jessie muttered.

"Andie's also got a place for us to stay."

"Excellent. Are you girls ready to start school?"

"Yep!" Both twins replied.

"It'll be nice to have someone to hang around with other than my sister."

"HEY!" Syd growled.

"I was joking."


	9. Chapter 9

"Maybe now things will be less monotonous. Go to NYC, get captured, get threatened…" Syd moaned. The demons had previously taken metamorphosis potions, transforming them into normal everyday humans. Syd and Des had jet-black hair and serene emerald eyes. Jessie had blue eyes and blonde hair. After they had conversed with Andie (through Syd's cell phone), they received their new address. Fay, who had accompanied the three demons, zipped from Andie's electronics shop and back to Des and her aunt and sister, holding a key ring.

Jessie took the key ring and took hold of the key dubbed for opening the front door, entering it into the keyhole. She smiled when she saw it had enough furniture to last them for a while. Syd examined the kitchen. "Andie must have done this." She laughed when she noticed there was food there, too. "She really went all out, didn't she?"

"Yeah." Jessie smiled. "Just like in the old days."

"Whatchu mean?" Syd asked, puzzled.

"I used to help her save the world whenever Jake was sick or grounded or something."

"Cool!" Des grinned.

"You two will be going, by the way, to the same middle school I went to. It's down the block from here." Jessie informed the twins before she started looking over the newspapers. "Hmm…that's interesting."

"What?" Syd asked.

"There's an opening for a job at the school."

"You don't have a degree, do you?"

"Yeah." Jessie nodded. "I do."

"Hmm. I'm going upstairs." Syd replied before sauntering up the stairs to her bedroom.

"So what do you think Aunt Jessie's gonna teach?" Syd asked on the twins' way to school.

"Hopefully a class we don't have." Des snickered.

Suddenly, Des sneezed and wings erupted from her back. They weren't her normal ones, at least not the membranes. The membranes were now a rich, golden color. Des turned her head, wide-eyed, flexing her wings out of curiosity. "What on earth…" She whispered.

"Good thing no one's around to see this, eh?" Syd replied.

"Syd, what happened!" Des cried.

"I. DON'T. KNOW!" Syd roared.

"I'm sorry!" Des snapped. "I'm just NERVOUS! WINGS just SPROUTED out of my back!" The teen backed away from her twin, accidentally skidding into a lone car that had been speeding. Syd screamed and raced to her twin. Des didn't stir, but at least she was breathing. She did occasionally cough or sputter, and with each cough, she began transforming.

_Des stirred and her eyes fluttered open…but the place she was in now was not New York. The air had a sweetened, fresh scent to it, and there were cold clouds billowing around her ankles as she stood up. A golden, beautiful, slender figure glided toward her with a grace that not even deer could claim their own, for it was too precious a glide to belong to any earthly creature. "Ayan?" Des whispered. "Am I dead?"_

_"No, Des." Ayan spoke finally, after examining Des' beautiful wing membranes. "I have just desired to talk to you."_

_"Then you know what's wrong with me?"_

_"It's not a curse, Des, that you have golden wing membranes. Those are only given to those who have a greater destiny. Come, walk with me." Ayan descended a staircase of sorts, made of clouds. Des followed. "It has been taught to you that I know of every demon's destiny, yes?"_

_"Yes ma'am."_

_"And do you know of yours?"_

_"It has…not yet been revealed to me during prayer."_

_"But you do recognize you'll gain psychic abilities."_

_"Yes ma'am."_

_"Well…now is as good a time as any. Destiny, when you…when you pass into the next world, you're destined to be a goddess."_

_"Me, a goddess?" Des mouthed, not believing what her goddess had just told her. "I…"_

_"Your powers will continue to grow 'til they become so powerful…you'll…die."_

_"Die!" Des gasped. "When?"_

_"Oh, you'll be very old, but…when you die, you'll be restored to a physique like you had in your twenties." Ayan smiled. "No worries."_

"Des! Wake up!" Syd cried, as Des stirred and opened her eyes, not in the spirit world, but in the real world. Syd smiled and hugged her sister. "You're alive!" She laughed.

Just as quickly as Des discovered she would be Ayan's prophet, Daemon discovered what he would do….drain Des' power for himself…and then…

_Kill her._


	10. Chapter 10

Syd and Des walked into their mythology classroom, Des' wing problem having been taken care of. "So you're Ayan's prophet?" Syd whispered. "That's cool!"

"Not so loudly, Syd." Des warned. "I don't want anyone to hear…"

"Des, they can't hear a thing. We're whispering." Syd mumbled.

"Good morning, everyone!" A slightly cheerful voice that could not have, but sure enough did, belong to her aunt had entered the room, along with its owner. "My name is Jessie Lipsky, and I'll be your new mythology teacher. We'll get along fine. As long as you all do your homework, stay on task…" She walked over to a student who was chewing gum and popped the bubble. "AND DO NOT CHEW GUM!"

Syd snorted as she watched her aunt take her first 'victim'.

Daemon was prepared to attack the twins, but first….he needed nourishment. He rested himself, laying down on his stomach, in a tree. Growling menacingly, he stepped forward on all fours. Suddenly he leapt from the tree branch and down to a young child…

"Scores of our children are missing!" A priest declared. "AND WHY!" The mother of the child Daemon had murdered stood by him, crying. "This filthy, unholy race must be destroyed!" This was responded to by affirming cheers.

Jessie, meanwhile, had not been able to make her church's meeting…..at least, that's what she had excused her non-appearance as. In truth, she was debating what to do. The girls wouldn't be able to restart protecting the city…or they would be killed. Daemon was an absolute monster…and those humans he killed this year weren't the only ones he had killed.

Syd and Des arrived home from a friend's house and passed Jessie. "S-Syd….Des…there's something I….need to tell you."

"What is it, Aunt Jessie?" Syd asked, looking at her aunt, concerned.

"The Huntsclan didn't kill your parents."

"What?" Des asked.

"No…." Jessie pressed her eyelids together, on the verge of tears. "Daemon did…"


	11. Chapter 11

The two twins stood in their demon forms, having transformed shortly after walking in the door. Jessie sighed and told them the story.

_"Andrea! Run!" A man's voice flooded the young woman's eardrums as she ran as fast as she could, her red colored body becoming a blur in the forestry. She tried to outrun her attacker. Feeling a tingling sensation, she looked down at her feet. The talons of her feet disappeared and her feet turned a more humanly color. Then, she bent down in extreme pain. Her wings and beautiful horns disappeared back into her body, and her slender, graceful tail vanished._

_She was human again. Thomas, her mate, roared in agony as he watched his beloved lose her life to the claws and fangs of Daemon. The enemy hadn't even…he left the body so grotesque, Thomas felt like he was going to vomit any second. He crouched down low to avoid being seen, but Daemon's head swiveled in his direction. The last thing he ever saw was the enemy's claws clamping down on his eyes._

_"THOMAS! ANDREA!" A voice called. A lavender demon approached the two bodies. "Oh please, Ayan…no…" There was no hope for Andrea…she was little more than a skeleton…but Thomas was still alive._

_"I'm h-here…" Thomas raked the ground slightly with his claws. His ribs were smashed to pieces, and he was barely alive. The pain was excruciating. "The girls…the eggs…they're still at the house." He took one more breath. "G-guard them…make sure nothing happens to them." He screwed his eyes closed in extreme pain and took his final breath._

_"I will…I will, brother." Jessie wiped the tears from her face and kissed her brother's cheek. She stepped in the direction of their house, hopping over the fence. She knew Daemon could be watching her…but he was nowhere in sight. Jessie approached the front door. It was unlocked. She entered the living room, to find a truly shocking sight: Daemon. The evil demon was resting his foot on a sapphire-colored egg, ready to crush it at any second. His head swiveled toward Jessie, who snarled. The femme launched herself toward him, getting him away from the egg._

_Next, she snarled at him and proceeded to tear at his wings, ripping holes into them. The demon ran off. Jessie walked upstairs and took a messenger bag that all demons usually possessed to carry their eggs around. She stepped outside and took flight, soaring for the American Demon Island._

"Why did he want my parents to die?" Syd asked.

"Daemon was a Seer….he thought that if your parents died, Des wouldn't become Ayan's prophet…but…something's not adding up."

"What is it, Aunt Jessie?" Des asked.

"If Daemon is a Seer, he would have seen Des' destiny even before she was born…"

Syd's eyes widened and she walked over to the bookshelf, pulling out an old, withered tome. She flipped through it frantically. "'When a Seer demon loses their demonic status, all visions are immediately erased from their memory.'"

"Well, that's interesting." Jessie replied. "So he doesn't remember the vision he got of Des being a prophet…"

Des' lip quivered a few times before she finally exploded. "I'M SICK OF HEARING THAT!"

"Des?" Syd asked, concerned.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE AYAN'S PROPHET! I NEVER ASKED FOR IT! IF IT MEANT MY PARENTS' DEATH…"

"Des, you should be proud of who you are! You're going to be a great hero someday!"

Des stormed out of the house, taking with her a potion. She would transform back into a human when she went outside….but she would never make it. She wouldn't return home that night, human or demon. Only a few steps by her house, she had been captured. She looked to see the priest from her church and others, debating whether to say anything or not…they couldn't know who she was…they'd find out that Jessie and Syd were demons too!

"Look at those wings!" One glared. "She must be evil…She must die!"

"No! No!" Des whispered. "Please!"

"Silence!" The priest roared, pulling out a whip and striking Des' neck with it. That move silenced Des, who was guided to a van and thrown inside. The mother of the dead child put shackles on Des' ankles and wrists. The other ends of the chains only had four links to them. The mother of the child whom Daemon had killed was securing Des' chains, and looked at her.

"You killed my daughter."

"What?" Des asked in disbelief. "NO!"

"You belong to a filthy race…you will be destroyed!" With that, she rammed a cloth of chloroform into Des' mouth. Before she blanked out, she heard the woman again. "Your entire race will pay."

Des awoke several hours later to find herself tied to a stake, people throwing bundles of wood down by her feet.


	12. Chapter 12

Des' breath became fast as she realized she was going to be burned to death. There was no way she was going to get out of this alive….she was going to die. Ayan had been proven wrong. And where was the great spirit now? Shouldn't she be here, helping her disciple? She was nothing more than a power mad being. Suddenly, Ayan appeared, a ghostly golden form. Only Des could see her, and only Ayan would be able to hear Des' words. "You doubt me." Ayan sneered.

"No, Goddess, never." Des replied. "I would never doubt my master…"

"You have thought it…as you know, I am a Seer demon…I can hear your thoughts…..do not deny that you doubted me!" Ayan roared deafeningly after that sentence. "Never have I had a disciple so willingly think of me in a way! You are now on probation, Des…I'd kill you now, but I believe in second chances."

"Thank you, Goddess." Des nodded, and returned to the human world as they were about to light the fire. She wriggled slightly, trying to free herself.

"Just dive in, let the good times roll, nothin' feels better than lettin' go, just dive in, you know it feels good so go on and dive in…" Syd sang as she mopped the floor.

"Sydney!" Syd's head whirled around as she heard the unmistakable voice of her goddess, Ayan.

"A-Ayan?" Syd asked in disbelief. To have a visit from Ayan and not be a prophet was, to say the least, impossible.

"Your sister needs your assistance, Sydney."

"Des? But she's a pro…"

"She has denounced my name."

"I don't understand….If you're a goddess…why does Des need my…"

"Only demons can see me, Sydney, or hear me for that matter. She needs you." While it was true that Ayan didn't trust Des, she would not allow a member of her race to die at the hands of a few prejudiced individuals.

"Very well." Syd's fists met each other and she brought them both to her breastbone, bowing gracefully.

"You must enlist the help of all the demons that are not on Daemon's side…foes should be easy to detect."

"Thank you."

Syd found, after minutes of searching the part of Demon Island designated for hunting, her two friends. The Forest twins were scavenging for food, having been nearly starved as punishment for letting their friends escape. Scott looked up from his kill as he heard the flap of landing wings. Seeing that it was Syd, he gently nudged the carcass over to her. Syd bent over to eat some of what was left. She ate quickly, time was of the essence, but she was starving. Flying took her energy out of her. "Thanks," she smiled.

"What's the problem?" Scott asked.

"It's Des…Des is….she was captured!" Syd yelled nervously. "A group of Christians found her a-and…"

"What!" Nick roared. "Does your aunt know?"

"I don't want to worry her." Syd replied. "I'm thirteen and I'm no normal human….I can certainly take down a few adults."

"We've gotta get going!" Scott took command. "Syd, get on my back if you're too tired to fly."

Syd nodded and stepped over to Scott, wrapping her arms around his neck and grabbing her left wrist with her right hand. He took flight, followed closely by Nick. As they reached Syd's church, they landed. Nick took off to save Des, and Syd and Scott watched him as he let loose every single instinct. He roared violently, a roar that normally claimed Daemon's throat, and stepped toward the attackers. Des was beginning to lose consciousness from the fumes of the smoke, although the flames weren't near her body.

Nick roared again as Des coughed, and the crowd suddenly split. He got down on all fours so to move faster in addition to scaring the attackers. He growled as he tore the ropes that were constricting Des, using his horns to cut them. Using his claws would have taken too long, and he didn't want to take that chance. The ropes snapped, and Des' limp body fell into his hands. Hoisting Des up over his shoulders, he carried her off. One of the people in the crowd threw a stone at his face, hitting his forehead. He grunted and looked at the person who had thrown it at him.

He gave Des to his brother and then raced toward the man, who upon Nick's arrival, snickered. Although he was young, he was completely bald, and one of his teeth was golden. Something clicked in Nick's mind…

_Tynan, Daemon's brother, was discussing things with Daemon just outside Scott's cell. "I want you to capture Destiny." Daemon growled. "Capture her and bring her to me."_

_"Why?"_

_"I just don't like her…she's weak."_

_"Ah, an excellent reason to hate anyone in our colony, brother." Tynan smiled. "Those who are weak don't belong."_

_Scott noticed a golden fang appearing now and then as Tynan's lips moved._

This was the very same person, Nick could see it in Tynan's eyes. Tynan smirked. "Boy." He addressed Nick quietly, hissing. "Bow to your beta."

"Never." Nick hissed. "I won't bow to you."

"Then face the consequences." The evil one, thanks to an invention of Daemon, could transform at will, and did so when he led Nick to a clearing nearby. "And now, my boy," Tynan snickered. "We duel."

"I'm not afraid to." Nick glared. "It is you who should be afraid. I was taught to fight by one of the greatest…"

"A woman!" Tynan roared. "You were taught by a woman!"

"Jessie is one of the greatest fighters to grace our species!"

"Then why isn't she here helping you?" Tynan smiled. "Where is your savior?"

"That doesn't matter now." Nick growled. "I am here, and I am enough to bring you down."

"We shall see."

"He's not alone." Syd snickered. "He's got me."

"And me," Scott announced, smiling triumphantly, Des .

Demon fights were not to be held without wagers. "What are the stakes?" Tynan questioned.

"Full leadership." Scott suggested. "I will challenge you for full leadership of the American Demons."

"And if you lose…" Tynan began, "What do you plan to do?"

"If we lose…we will find a new home for ourselves amongst another colony."

"Excellent." Tynan smiled. "Let us begin, under this moon of Ayan." He stated almost poetically as he gestured toward the moon.

Both opponents bowed, and then Tynan drew his chin closer to his chest in an effort to protect his neck. Scott, Nick, and Syd did the same, Nick doing it after setting Des down gently by a tree. Syd attacked Tynan's left wing, ripping it off viciously with her teeth. Blood spurted from the one-winged, which was the common name for demons with only one wing. "I am a threat now, you see? Not just some useless female!"

"Get off me." Tynan roared. With that, he forced his toe talons into Syd's chest, knocking her off of him and into a rock. Syd's horns prevented her from any injuries, but she was slightly stunned. Scott pounced at him, clubbing him hard over the head. The foe was dead, Scott saw, when blood seeped from his ear.

"Thank you." Syd smiled, her white fangs glistening. She ran over to Scott and hugged him.

"Are you injured?" He asked.

"Only slightly. Des is the greater concern." Syd pulled away from him, walking over to her sister. "She's still alive, but her breathing is very, very shallow."

"I'll take her to your aunt's place." Scott nodded. "You make sure no one's watching."

"Gotcha."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: OK, after I finish this, do you guys want a sequel, prequel (Jessie's life), or should I do a parody of The Lion King?

Jessie sighed as she watched Andie heal her niece. It was too dangerous to give Des a potion, as it could go into her lungs. "C'mon, sis…." Syd whispered. Des had to pull through. "You've….you can't leave me behind, Des, please." Syd cried. "Please…don't…" The teenager wept pitifully by her sister's side.

"It's done," Andie spoke. "But she won't wake up for a while."

"Thank Ayan…" Syd mumbled. "She's going to be okay."

"I'm not risking this again." Jessie looked at Syd. "You two aren't leaving this house again."

"Aunt Jessie, that's not…"

"I don't care, Syd. I almost lost Des."

"YOU almost lost Des!" Syd roared thunderously. "DES IS MY TWIN SISTER! I'M A HECK OF A LOT CLOSER TO HER THAN YOU ARE!" With that, Syd slapped Jessie across the face. She slung Des' body over her shoulders and ran off. Andie started after her, but Jessie put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"No, let them go." The demon explained. "They'll be back."

Meanwhile, Des had awakened. "Where am I?" She mumbled.

"Away from Aunt Jessie, that's for sure."

"Why?"

"Because she's a control freak." Syd explained. She started a fire, rubbing two of her claws together. "She wants us to forget our true heritage."

"She wants us to be safe, Syd."

"She should know by now that we're capable of fighting!" Syd countered. "She doesn't want to be a demon…" The teenager flipped through a few spell books that she had pilfered from her aunt. "Yeah, I'll set her straight…." She mumbled.

"Syd, what are you doing!" Des cried. "You're going to do something stupid, aren't you?"

Syd ignored her sister and her eyes glowed a violent white as she cast a spell. An astral image of their aunt appeared in front of them. The image wrapped her arms around herself and crouched down.

It perfectly mimicked what was happening to Jessie just then. "Jessie!" Andie asked frantically. "What's wrong!"

"S-someone…..is…r-revoking…." Jessie didn't finish her sentence, as the pain was too great to speak. Her tail flowed back into her body and her horns disappeared, along with her wings. "…my powers…" she finished as her color reverted to human form.

"You can't transform anymore!" Andie cried. "Who would have done this!"

"I don't know…" Jessie whispered.

Des stared at Syd in disbelief. "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!"

"She doesn't deserve to be one of us, Des. She isn't worthy."

Des' wings flapped a few times before she stood up and glided toward her sister, punching her in the face. "CHANGE. HER. BACK!" Des roared.

The purple demon growled and stared at her sister, her eyes still glowing white. "No," she said icily. "No. Absolutely not."

Daemon snickered, waving his hand over the crystal ball that illustrated the twins' argument. "Yes, Sydney….all you need to do now is murder Destiny…"


End file.
